


Differences

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 05:49:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3884767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stressed out and still not over his girlfriends (that are now dating each other), Mako finds refuge in a small tea shop, where he befriends the cashier over time. Korra, Asami, and Bolin continue their adventures as Team Avatar, leaving Mako behind. He finally has time for himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Differences

Mako never really liked tea as much as Bolin, but he drank it occasionally. He never really liked the fancy brews, with the different kind of leaves and all the different fruits added for a million different flavors. He was fine with a plain cup of warm tea once in a while. Bolin thought of him weird, but that was only because since he was a movers star, he could afford the expensive tea that mom use to like.

When Mako was on breaks, he would usually pop into the nearest shop and ask for a glass of water. Water was supposed to be free, as it was in most places, but he wasn’t that cold hearted and he paid for it, as if it was a normal cup of tea, and he left a tip. The cashier would look at him funny but never say a word. Mako sat down for half an hour. Breaks were nice, especially on the really hot days. The only thing he didn’t like was being alone with his own mind.

He started taking shorter breaks and spending nights in the office. He would go days without sleep, and he felt fine. He was ready to go out and face the day, even if it wasn’t his shift. He was ready to go out and arrest some bad guys and keep his home town safe. Unfortunately, Chief Beifong didn’t see it the same way.

“Mako!” she bellowed to him one slow, Thursday afternoon. “My office. Now.”

He stood up and shuffled his way into her office. The look on her face was a cross between anger and pity. For a minute, she said nothing. She just studied him closely, trying to understand on her own. She got nowhere. “Mako, sit.” After he was in the chair, she continued, “Now, I’m giving you one chance to tell me what’s the matter with you. Spill.”

Mako awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know why you would think I’m not okay, Chief. I’m perfectly fine.”

She glared at him. “Spill.”

He sighed. “It’s just stupid lady stuff. It’s honestly really stupid to even think about it or have it bother me, but it does. So I just lock it up in hopes it’ll go away.”

Chief Beifong chuckled. “I knew there was a reason I accepted you onto the squad. Listen, Mako, I’ve been doing that for thirty years. Trust me, it gets easier after the first five. But I suppose that I shouldn’t be telling you that, and I have one piece of advice for you. Go meditate with Tenzin. It’ll actually help a youngster like you.”

Mako shook his head. “I’m not going there with Asami and Korra there, Chief. I think I’d rather stay here and bottle up everything.”

Chief wasn’t one for losing. She could play this game as well as any other. “Sorry, Mako, but I’m forcing you to take the day off. Go punch out and meditate with Tenzin. I don’t want you here until you’re feeling better. Trust me, bottling things up is something that I’m okay with, but I probably can’t let you follow in my footsteps.” She stood up, ready to push him out of her office.

Mako jumped out of the seat and blocked the door. “Fine, give me the day off, but I’m staying right in this building.” His voice was filled with fear. He looked Chief right in the eyes, silently begging her to reconsider. There was no way he was going straight up to where Asami and Korra, both his ex girlfriends, lived.

“I’ll tell him to come get you.”

“I’ll go get you a cup of tea,” he blurted out. It took him a few seconds to think about what he said. “Tea… yes! Chief, I usually take my breaks in this small tea shop and I could totally go get you tea. What? Break? Yes, yes ma’am, I will take a break and then get you a tea from there, and come back here and help you……..” He looked around quickly. “I will help you… refile everything! Chief, I knew you’ve been wanting to refile everything! I can help you, absolutely. I’ll just get your tea and then we can refile everything.” He grinned awkwardly up at his boss. Everything he just said was probably really stupid but somewhere, he just felt proud of himself.

Lin Beifong sighed and handed him some money. “Alright, Mako, just get me a large tea and a muffin. I want you back here no earlier than a half and hour. Take a break, chill out, and we’ll refile everything when you get back. Understood?”

He saluted. “Yes, ma’am,” he answered. Mako knew that if he hugged her, he would be killed on the spot, so he shook her hand and ran out. He never saw Chief pick up her phone and dial Tenzin’s number.

The walk down to the little tea shop was slow. He wasn’t allowed to take the car because he wasn’t really on duty, but he didn’t mind waking. Everything was okay as long as he didn’t have to see Asami or Korra. He felt like an idiot for ever even being involved with them. But they were practically a team, they were supposed to work together. Teams are harder to work with when you date both of the females in them. It bothered him more since both of those females could easily put him in the hospital.

Mako walked through the doors and into the shop. There were the same two people at the same tables. He never talked to them, but they were nice. A wave or small smile was passed back. Nothing more was done, and that was life. Mako walked up to the counter and saw the same cashier that always stood there. He never paid much attention to her, and today wasn’t any different. “I’d like two plain teas and two muffins to go, please.”

The cashier nodded. “What kind of muffins, sir?”

Mako looked puzzled. “Oh, geez. Beifong didn’t tell me… uh, what’s good?”

She led him over to the muffin rack. There were probably several dozen of muffins in there. “We have blueberry, strawberry, banana, you know, the typical and popular flavors. Then we have banana chocolate chip, strawberry granola, and blueberry granola. They’re really good, especially the banana chocolate chip. Over here--”

“What’s your favorite?” Mako interrupted.

The cashier looked just as puzzled as he did. “Oh, uh, banana chocolate chip. It’s weird, I know--”

“I’ll take half a dozen of those. What else do you like?” He peered down through the glass as she thought about it.

“Uh, apple strudel? It tastes like a cake-form of a strudel and it’s topped with a glaze--”

“Half a dozen of those, too.” He grinned up at her and pulled out his wallet. “How much?”

The cashier added everything up and looked back at him. “That’ll be about twenty.”

Mako pulled out the money. “Thanks a lot for helping me pick out some muffins.” He placed it on the counter and smiled. “I bet some customers can be a pain in the butt…. uh…” He looked at her apron for a name tag, but there was none. “Oh.”

“What?” She looked up, siding the cups of tea over the counter to him. “Is something wrong?”

“I was just trying to learn your name, that’s all.” He awkwardly grabbed the drinks and the box of muffins. “I mean, you’re not wearing a name tag or anything…”

“No name tag?” a man yelled from the back. The door opened and the cashier looked at Mako, horrified. The man came up to her and grabbed a pin from underneath the counter. “Agni, I told you multiple times. You have to wear the name tag or you’re fired!”

“I don’t like--”

He cut her off with a glare. “No one cares how much you hate your name,” he spat. “Keep the name tag on and get back to work! You can’t keep doing this!” He stormed off and left the two alone.

Mako looked at the girl, who was now angry. She shot Mako a dirty look, and that was when she realized how beautiful she really was. She must’ve had really long hair, because it was tied up in a formal bun on the back of her head that was huge. It looked like it was supposed to be a traditional, formal bun but it wa really sloppy and wisps of hair hung out of it. She had jagged bangs that hung around her face and nearly covered her eyes. She wore a long shirt that was darker blues and a few grays. It buttoned more off to the side and it was rolled right above the elbows. It was obviously more of a Water Tribe shirt, with a collar that kind of stuck up. She was light skinned, though, which was weird to Mako, because most of the water benders or people from a water tribe descent usually had darker skin. She had brown eyes, a little bit of makeup that lined the eyes and winged out on the ends, and now, she was full of anger.

The fire bender didn’t know what to say to her. She simply glared at him and rung him up. “Here’s your change,” she hissed under her breath before walking into the back room.

Mako decided not to think into it that much. He just walked out with what he needed and started his walk back to the police station.

Eventually, Agni did get into Mako’s thoughts. Agni was a girl, a girl that was now upset with him. It was right then and there that Mako realized that he really shouldn’t talk to girls. He always found a way to hurt them or make them angry. The only solid woman in his life was Lin, but that was because she signed his paychecks and could kill him with the flick of her wrist. Well, Korra and Asami could kill him too, but he decided that maybe they would need two flicks of the wrist. Still, Mako was a threat to all girls whenever he opened up his mouth and he wasn’t going to do that again.

Mako knocked on the door to Lin’s office and cleared his throat. “Cheif? I got the tea and muffins. You didn’t tell me what kind you wanted, so I just grabbed a two flavors that were recommended. I hope that’s alright?”

The door flew open and Lin Beifong stood with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. “Thanks, Mako. Tenzin, would you care for a muffin?”

Mako’s eyes grew wide as soon as he saw Tenzin sitting in the chair in front of the desk. “That would be a lovely idea, thank you Lin. Oh, it looks like Mako got a whole box of them. I’m sure Pema would love one.”

The firebender took a step back. “You promised you wouldn’t call him.”

“You’re stressed out,” Lin argued, walking around her desk. She took the teas and the box from Mako and handed them off to Tenzin. “Now come on in here and talk it out with him.”

Mako felt like he was going to be sick. He was going to have to head back to the Air Temple with Tenzin, he would have to face Korra and Asami, they would have given him looks! Terrible looks. Mako trembled. “No. Chief, I’m not ever going back to the Air Temple ever again. As long as I live, I’m… I’m…” He pulled back, almost falling. He suddenly felt dizzy.

Lin grabbed his shoulders. “Whoa there, kid. Hey, trust me. Go back with Tenzin and meditate. You’ll feel better, I can promise you.”

Tenzin stood up quickly. “I don’t think meditation alone is going to calm him down. He looks really stressed, Lin.”

“He’s been working himself too hard.” She glanced up at the airbender. “I don’t know how to handle stress. What should he do?”

Mako pushed her off of him and staggered back. “I’m not going within ten miles of Korra! Or--or a hundred miles! I’m staying far away from her and Asami, and I mean it.” He held up his hands and produced a flame. “I’m not letting him take me to the temple.”

“Mako, enough!”

His trembling turned into shaking. He went to step back again, but he tripped and the flame started to grow larger. Lin whipped a wire out and grabbed both of his wrists, and Tenzin blew out the flame. “Mako, you’re going to the Air Temple with Tenzin or you’re fired!” Lin belowed.

And then, he was carried out of the police station inside of a ball of air, with Lin behind them, screaming at the other officers to get back to work.


End file.
